Medellin Questions

[HeyBA]

Medellin

I've done the text searches and even started some of the Medellin, Colombia threads looking for information.

Thought I'd ask some specific questions one more time, in the spirit of reality often being a lot different than Google results, as we often share with people on this forum:

Clothes

1) Will it ever be cold enough at night for a thin sweater or under t-shirt beneath a collared shirt, or should I just leave it at home?

2) Will I ever need a jacket?

What to bring

1) Just as for BA, we always warn, BRING ALL YOUR OWN ELECTRONICS and now CASH DOLLARS, what would you tell someone to bring if they were coming from the US?

Money and banking

1) Any tips? Cash dollars or ATM?

Personal contacts

1) First hand recommendations are always best I'm going there with a view to relocating, so it's an open-ended stay. Does anyone know any real estate agents, people renting rooms, people with good Spanish schools for the very advanced level? etc....

2) I won't know a soul. Will anyone be there in the next season, has moved there, or knows someone who has? If you want to connect or connect me to someone let me know. I get along with anyone in the 25-40 age bracket who likes to go out and who is not a spaz or the expat scammer type. I'm a guy. (One thing with switching foreign cities is weeding through the traveler riff-raff and locals that almost seem to prey on them. Wouldn't mind skipping some of that.)

Anyone with info they're willing to share could either post a response or PM me. Thanks!

 

[davonz]

I was in medellin between dec and march, i had a thin fleece which i wore a couple of times in the early morning (as in between 6 and 8am), and i think once until lunch time, but generally it was always warm.

Electronics are more expensive than the states, but not alot, maybe 10%. so nothing like here.

Supermarkets are fantastic, similar to US, good selection of food/clothes/electronics.. And if you like fresh fruit and veges you are going to be having orgasums in the produce department. Great quality and cheap.

Beer can be had for US$1 for 500mls at supermarket, and anywhere from US$1 to US$3 at pubs for a 350ml (stubby size).

Food at restaurants is cheap, can have a pretty good meal for US$5, or a basic local meal for US$1.50 to US$2.50 - soup/meat, veg, rice, chips or fried banana.

Tap water is good.

I stayed in the blacksheep hostel, in the good part of town, private clean room was US$20 a night. There were a few people who were staying there for a while and working remotely, so is a good place to meet people, and some where also looking for apts etc, so good place to get that sort of info too.
There is also plenty of cheap hotels for around the same price, or cheaper.
From what i remember studios/1 bedroom apts where 1/2 the price or less per month than here.

Access to US$ isnt a problem, and same with getting money from ATM machines. Only problems i had is in Santa Marta where i went to 5 ATM's at 5 different banks before i could get money out one night. But then a few days later went back to one of the banks that wouldnt give me money and i got it out.